Zoom H4 - Features
Zoom H4 - Light as a feather; you may as well be carrying a pair of AA batteries.
But don't let that fool you - this digital recorder is a mountain of possibility.
With 2 built in microphones and 2 multi-purpose inputs (xlr and 1/4'') you couldn't be more portable. Perfect as a sampler, the Zoom H4 handy recorder also doubles as an audio interface - sort of like a home away from home. Plug it into your computer through USB and you're ready to go.
Now, to the real deal; this thing has good features and bad. The built in mic's - They're not brilliant, but they are decent; ideal for recording samp els e.g. a passing train. Remember that as a pair, they are very directional and should be aimed at the target.
My First Experience with Zoom H4 Portable Digital Recorder
My first experience using them was recording a couple of friends at a picnic in a park. The quality was great and the sound clear - they picked up very little background noise.
The interface - It isn't fantastic. That's not to say that it's bad, but the buttons are bulky and the screen is small. Apart from that, it serves the purpose. It's easy to use (I didn't even read the manual) and there aren't too many buttons/features. N.B "jog dial" is also a button...
The only fault with the interface is the fact that you don't have much control over the input gain.
Zoom H4 - Limitations of Portable Digital Recorder
There's only "low" "medium" or "high" in Zoom H4, which is quite stupid when there could've easily been a wheel. This, however, isn't a big problem as you are able control the input level.
The 512 Mb of flash memory that comes with it enough to record about 30min of audio as a 48kHz wave file. There is also the possibility of recording as mp3, 44kHz and 96kHz wav files.
I have had no problems with using the external inputs. Just plug in the mic, turn on phantom power, change the settings to use external inputs, and it all works.
Zoom H4 - Batteries and Audio Interface
The batteries last a decent amount of time. With 48V phantom power and monitoring, they can last a couple of hours easily. Otherwise they can last for a lot longer.
As an audio interface, Zoom H4 recorder couldn't be better. Plug it into you computer through a usb port, and your computer will instantly recognise it as a audio i/o device. To use it in a recording software you may need to change some properties in the software itself. I found this a little bit confusing using Cubase LE 4.
Zoom H4 - My Thoughts about Portable Digital Recorder
The Zoom H4 digital recorder is a bit bigger than you may first think, but it's small enough to fit into a jeans' pocket. The built in microphones are well protected, so you don't need to worry about breaking them.
Personally, I have found the Zoom H4 a very handy recorder, both as a portable recording device and as an audio interface. It has helped me to record music, speech and samples. I recommend it to amateurs and anyone with a home studio. Easy to use, light as a feather, Zoom H4 recorder makes any studio truly portable and professional.
RU, Australian producer, composer, musician
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